Tai's personal Quest of Courage
by DigiDestined of Courage
Summary: What would have happened if the others hadn't forgiven Tai for his mistake in "The Arrival of SkullGreymon?" What would Tai do, and would the others go after him? A Taiora.


Me: I've got another idea for a Taiora set in Season I

Me: I've got another idea for a Taiora set in Season I! 

Tai: (sweatdrops) Really? How'd you get it?

Me: I got inspiration from the episode "The Arrival of SkullGreymon!"  
Tai: That's not an episode I'd want to relive! Once is enough. 

Me: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't own Digimon. 

****

Digimon-Season I

Tai's personal Quest of Courage

The most dangerous of all Digimon, SkullGreymon, stopped a few meters from the destroyed Roman Coliseum and suddenly deDigivolved.

"He's Koromon again!" T.K. exclaimed. 

"Whoooaaaaa!" Tai slid down to his Digimon and picked him up. 

"Are you all right?" Tai asked worriedly. 

"Well, yes…but…I've done some terrible, horrible things. I savagely attacked three of my fellow Digimons." Koromon cried sadly. 

"It's not your fault." Biyomon insisted. 

"She's right." Gabumon agreed. 

"We completely understand." Tentomon said. 

"I'm really sorry I didn't live up to your expectations of me, Tai." 

"It's not your fault. I know who's to blame." Matt replied as he came up behind Tai and a very saddened Koromon. 

"I know. It's all my fault. I'm really, really sorry." Tai declared. 

"I didn't mean to put it all on you, Tai." Matt insisted. Tai would have none of it. 

"It's okay; it's my fault, right Sora?" Tai asked.   
Sora responded without thinking, "Yeah. I mean-"

"I didn't know what I was doing, but I kept pushing people around anyway. I felt like because I had the Crest, I had to be in charge and fight on my own without any help from the rest of you. I'm sorry, everybody. Please forgive me." Tai pleaded. 

Koromon nodded in agreement, the previous incident already forgotten. 

"I'm not sure if you deserve to be forgiven, Tai. You put yourself in danger, as well as the rest of us when you forced Greymon to Digivolve." Izzy remarked.   
"Izzy, what are you saying?!" Tentomon exclaimed in shock. 

"I think I know. He's saying we should leave you to fend for yourself, Tai!" Matt exclaimed heatedly. 

"Matt, you don't really mean that, do you?" Gabumon asked. 

"All agreed?" Six hands rose upward in the air. Tai couldn't believe what he was seeing. Just because of one single mistake, the others were holding a mutiny against him?! 

"Sora…do you think I should go off on my own, too?" Tai asked worriedly, already knowing the answer. 

"You didn't take my advice when I told you to stay with the rest of us. If you're going to act reckless and not think about the rest of us, you deserve to be on your own! I don't even think you deserve the Crest of Courage!" Tai felt like a hundred daggers had hit him in the heart. Sora had never acted this cold toward him at all! He forced himself not to cry. 

"Then at least look after Koromon for me." Tai handed his Digimon over to Sora, who accepted him without a single word spoken. 

"Tai, if you're being sent away, I want to be with you so I can protect you!" 

"Maybe this is for the best, Koromon. Hopefully, I can return to you guys, and you'll be able to Digivolve the right way." Tai forced a smile on his face as he packed his belongings and a week's worth of food in his bag. 

"Sora, are you sure about this? I thought you cared about Tai!" Biyomon said. A light blush crept over Sora's cheeks, but she said nothing. 

"That must've been when we were back home. So long, everybody!" Tai turned and left without a single goodbye to anyone else. Just a simple "So long!" 

"Ha! I knew I'd be able to use my Dark Network to take over those kids' minds and have them mutiny against their leader, uh-huh! Too bad it didn't work against their Digimon." 

Etemon's moment of gloating ended as a Gazimon came up behind him. 

"Sir, the Dark Network's hold of the DigiDestined's minds is breaking up. Some of them are regaining control of their senses!" Gazimon explained. 

"No matter! Those brats have already served their purpose. First, I'll hunt down their 'former' leader and take him out! He doesn't have his partner to protect him. Then I'll take those goggles off his head as proof that he's gone when I meet up with those other kids. Finally, I'll finish them all off with one attack, uh-huh-huh! Now, let's go find their ex-leader!" Etemon headed for his carriage and was carted off by the Monochromon to Tai's location. 

Tai retraced his steps back toward the Koromon village. If it were at all possible, he'd recreate another raft and leave the Server continent and go back to File Island. 

__

"I'd stay here on Server, but I don't know that much about this continent! The only places I've been to here are the Koromon village and that place that used to be the Roman Coliseum. Why did I get the Crest of Courage, anyway? Sora was right-I don't deserve it! I made some foolish mistakes that almost cost me the lives of my friends! If I hadn't overfed Agumon, he might've been able to win against that evil Greymon. Biyomon said that Sora cared about me. What did she mean by that, anyway? Guess I'll never find out." 

Seeing that he was all alone, Tai broke down and cried his heart out. 

__

"If I'd only listened to Sora when she told me to stay back, Greymon wouldn't have Digivolved to SkullGreymon! If she does care about me, I must've destroyed it when I did that stupid act and tried to take on that evil Greymon alone. I don't deserve her friendship, or any kind of relationship she could've had with me in the future!" 

Tai's thoughts of sadness were broken when he heard a Koromon cry out for help. 

"Wha-what's going on?" Sora asked in shock as she was freed from Etemon's control. 

"Why am I holding Koromon? And where's Tai?" 

"You really don't remember what just happened?" Biyomon asked. 

"The six of you held a mutiny and told Tai to go off and fend for himself." Tentomon explained. 

"Ohh! What have I done? Which way did he go?" Sora asked worriedly. 

"He went that way." Koromon pointed with his right ear toward the direction Tai went. 

"He's heading back to the Koromon village? Why would he do that? Unless…he's going back to File Island! No! He can't leave me yet! I haven't told him how I felt! Come on, guys! We've got to stop Tai!" Sora started forward with Koromon and Biyomon, but Matt and the others blocked her. 

"I don't think so, Sora-unless you want us to mutiny against you too!" 

"I don't care what you guys do! I'm going to find Tai with or without you! Digivolve, Biyomon!" Sora's Digivice glowed a fiery red and shrieked loudly. 

"Biyomon Digivolve to…BIRDRAMON!!!" 

Sora and Koromon took to the skies on Birdramon before the others could stop her. 

"Don't worry, Sora! We'll hold off the others while you find Tai and get him back!" Palmon yelled out. 

"Help! Someone, please help me!" An innocent Koromon cried out. 

Tai was confused. _"Why would a Koromon be all the way out here, so far from his village? The only reason they'd be out here is if something happened to their village! Probably Etemon's work again. I've gotta save that Digimon! But, I don't have Koromon with me. Oh, well. With or without him, I'm still a DigiDestined and I've got to save this little guy!" _ Tai burst out of the bushes and jumped protectively in front of the Koromon. 

"All right, big, gray and ugly! Show yourself!" Tai demanded angrily. Two Gazimon revealed themselves moments later. 

"Well, well, well. It's the DigiDestined human who defeated us at the waterfall. Since we know this guy isn't your partner, the odds are even." 

"I'm not afraid of two jerks like you! If you want a fight, then you've got it! Stay back; I'll protect you." Tai smiled at Koromon, who smiled back. 

"Electric Stun Blast!!" Tai grabbed the little Koromon and took the electric attacks to his back, wincing in pain but barely acknowledging the fact that his Digivice was glowing! 

"Where could Tai be?" Sora asked. 

"He can't have gone far. Huh?" Koromon jumped out of Sora's arms and glowed brightly.

"Koromon Digivolve to…AGUMON!!!" 

Agumon landed back in Sora's lap and was amazed. 

"The only reason I'd be able to Digivolve was if Tai was nearby. That means he's somewhere down there!" Agumon exclaimed. 

"Head for those bushes, Birdramon! Step on it!" Sora demanded. 

Tai had recently learned something as he ran with Koromon in his arms-sometimes, to have true courage, you had to run from battle in order to win. He climbed a tree and avoided the Gazimon. 

"Thank you for saving me! Are you one of the DigiDestined?" 

"Yeah. I used to be the leader, but I'm not anymore." Tai replied. 

"What do you mean? What happened?" 

"Well, it all started when I got this Crest of Courage." Tai pulled the Crest Tag out from under his shirt and showed it to the Digimon. 

"I felt like I had to protect my friends without any help from the others, so I overfed my Digimon, Agumon in order for him to Digivolve. But somewhere along the way, I made a huge mistake and Greymon Digivolved into SkullGreymon!" The Koromon shivered in Tai's arms.

"SkullGreymon? He's the evilest of all Viral Digimon!" 

"You haven't met Etemon yet. Wait-you probably have, so I take that back! Anyway, he attacked three of our Digimon friends before deDigivolving to Koromon again. I realized what I'd done, and asked for forgiveness, but only Koromon gave it to me. The others suddenly held a mutiny and told me to fend for myself! My best friend said that I didn't deserve the Crest of Courage and I'm beginning to think she's right!" Tai broke down and started crying again. 

"I'm sorry for crying in front of you! You must think I'm a baby after all this!" 

"Not at all! It takes real courage to cry when you've made a mistake. Crying allows you to express your feelings to your friends and to let out your emotions. It's okay to cry every once in a while. And you were wrong about one thing-you _do _deserve the Crest of Courage! If you didn't, you wouldn't have risked your life to save me or taken those attacks for me. I think you should go back to your friends. They probably realized that what they did was wrong, and they're looking for you right now. Thanks again for saving me!" His little speech at an end, Koromon hopped out of Tai's hands and started heading back toward his village. 

"Tai, where are you?" 

"Tai, can you hear me? I'm really sorry for what I said back there! I didn't mean any of it! Please come out and forgive me!" Tai smiled broadly as he stood up on the tree branch. 

"Sora! Sora, I'm down here!" Tai yelled out. 

"Not after I get through with ya, you big-haired kid. Dark Network, Concert Crush!!" 

Tai cried out as the music shook up the tree. He tried to hang on, but the tree was beginning to fall over! 

"TAI! HANG ON!" Sora cried out. Agumon jumped out of Sora's arms and headed down toward his partner as he started glowing. 

"Agumon Digivolve to…GREYMON!!! 

Let Tai go, or you'll regret ever having crossed us!" Greymon demanded as he landed on the ground safely. 

"I don't think so. Dark Network, Concert Crush!!" Etemon's attack rang out loudly. Greymon struggled to stay at the Champion level, and succeeded, but barely. 

"Nova Blast!!" Greymon's Fire attack hit Etemon good, and forced him back a few feet. 

Tai ran over to his partner and stood by his side. 

"Don't worry, Greymon; I'm staying with you!" Tai declared bravely. Sora and Birdramon flew overhead, waiting for Tai's instructions. 

"So, one of you kids managed to escape my Network's control? Doesn't matter. Once I'm done with your leader, I'll handle the rest of you." 

Sora's eyes widened in shock and anger. "You were the one who controlled us?! How could you? You made me hurt my best friend's feelings!" 

"I only want to destroy you DigiDestined kids, and I think I'll start with you instead! Dark Network, Concert Crush!!" Etemon's attack hit Birdramon with precise aim and she deDigivolved into Biyomon. The two of them started falling toward the ground. 

"SORA! NOOOOOOOOOO!" Tai jumped out and saw a ledge that could support him. He ran to it, timed it right, and barely caught Sora and Biyomon in time! 

"Tai, look out!" Greymon warned. 

"Now, I'll destroy the both of you, uh-huh-huh! Dark Network, Concert Crush!!" 

Tai cried out as he waited for the end to come, not seeing that his Crest of Courage was glowing brightly. 

"Tai, your courage is giving me even greater power! I can Digivolve! 

Greymon Digivolve to…METALGREYMON!!!" 

Tai pulled Sora and Biyomon to their feet, and gazed in awe at Tai's Digimon. 

"Agumon Digivolved the right way! That's MetalGreymon, an Android Digimon who uses his own body as a weapon in battle. His most lethal attack is called the Giga Blaster!" Biyomon explained as the Digimon Analyzer popped up. 

"Agumon…Digivolved the right way! But, how?" Tai asked in shock. 

"Heh! A fully evolved Digimon! No problem, I'll take care of him, too. Dark Network, Concert Crush!!" Etemon's attack unaffected MetalGreymon and he started his own assault. 

"Now it's my turn! This is for trying to hurt Tai! Mega Claw!!" MetalGreymon's cybernetic claw hit Etemon and sent him to the ground. 

"Giga Blaster!!" Two missiles came out of MetalGreymon's chest and hit Etemon, sending him flying off. 

"I'll be back, MetalGreymon! You can count on that, uh-huh!" Etemon soon disappeared from sight. 

"Tai…I'm sorry about the things I said. I didn't mean any of it. And, I really _do _care about you…a lot." Sora started crying a bit and tried to keep from showing Tai. He smiled and wiped away her tears. 

"Sora…I forgive you. I know that it was really Etemon, not you guys who was doing it now. And, it's okay to cry sometimes. I think I understand why we need to cry. It's because we need to let our emotions out and express our feelings to our friends. The truth is, I care about you too, but I figured that you'd want someone tough and brave and not someone who actually takes the time to stop and smell the roses." Tai literally stopped and picked up a rose, smelled it and handed it to Sora. Then, he took a chance and kissed Sora on the cheek. 

"T-Thanks, T-Tai." Sora was blushing a deep crimson red as they got on MetalGreymon's back and headed back to the others. 

"Amazing! All along, Etemon was controlling us through his Dark Network. Sora was the only one who broke free, and Tai was too confused on his own feelings to let any thoughts break in." Izzy explained to the others, Etemon's hold finally broken. 

"What are we going to say to Tai if he returns?" Mimi asked frantically. 

"How are you so sure Tai _will _return? We did say some pretty mean things to him before." Matt said. 

"Sora wouldn't let him leave without explaining why we did what we did. I think _we're _the ones who need to apologize to Tai when he gets back." Joe replied.   
"Look!" T.K. exclaimed as he saw something big in the sky. 

"It's MetalGreymon! And Tai, Sora and Biyomon are on top of him!" Tentomon remarked. 

"Tai must've Digivolved Agumon the right way sometime today! Prodigious!" Izzy's eyes widened in shock as MetalGreymon came a bit closer. 

"What's wrong, Izzy?" Mimi asked. 

"Is it just me, or are Tai and Sora…holding hands?" 

MetalGreymon landed and the others got off his back; he deDigivolved back to Koromon again. 

"Tai, we're really sorry about how we acted earlier today. Can you forgive-"

"Forgiven and forgotten, Matt. Etemon blabbed the beans while he tried to capture me. If it wasn't for a Koromon being in trouble, I don't know where I'd be right now. Let's go!" 

Tai picked up Koromon and marched off into the sunset with Sora right by his side, still holding his hand. 

__

"I think I know why _I have the Crest of Courage now-so I can protect Sora from any dangers-as well as the others, but mostly Sora. I'm not worried anymore. With her by my side, I'm convinced that we will find her Crest too, and Biyomon can safely Digivolve a step further, just like Koromon did. One thing's for sure: I've learned a lot on this adventure…" _


End file.
